Friends!

July 10, 2014 / jim fetig / 5 Comments

Kennebunkport, ME, Thursday July 10, 2014 — What did I ever do to deserve such friends?

My hike is 220 miles and 26 shelters away from being complete and it’s time to begin reflecting upon what I’ve learned. Perhaps the most profound lesson is about friendship.

This morning the sun is rising as I take my morning coffee on my friend Ed’s oceanside deck. I’ve known him since we were introduced at a Hash in Panama about 20 years ago. We’ve been pals since bonded my our common love of running and being outdoors.

Tuesday Ed trucked for three hours up to northern Maine so that I could catch my flight today to that special wedding in Atlanta this weekend. He also drove Warren forward to a hostel in Rangely where he also was able to collect his food box at the post office. That’s selfless.

Somewhere along the line Ed learned to cut stone. The calm of the gardens he’s sculpted since then around his house is unsurpassed. It’s a special treat to share them.

I am a lucky fellow to have been touched so selflessly by so many friends including those who have shared their sincere encouragement as I’ve bumped along the trail. Then there are the friends I’ve made along the way with whom the bond of a shared journey is unique.

How did the likes of Val, Tim, Katie, Deb, Larry, and Ed come my way? Each of them shared their homes and their precious time when I needed it. I don’t know the answer, but I can never thank them enough.

The age old lesson has been confirmed. It’s the people in your life that make it worth living. In that regard I am indeed very fortunate.

Bemis and Old Blue

July 8, 2014July 8, 2014 / jim fetig / 5 Comments

Pine Ellis Hostel, Andover, 13 mile slack pack, NH Monday July 7, 2014 —
We opened up this morning with a river ford , except we cheated. We didn’t even get our feet wet. Fallen tree trunks make fine bridges.

Early in the day I stumbled into a British couple with whom I’ve been corresponding since planning for this hike began. I walked over a rock dome and who should appear but Nigel Berry and his wife Christine. They have a wonderful blog that’s well worth the read.

Once again the hiking was backward (southbound). The direction accounted for a long ride to the trailhead in the morning capped by a short skip back to the hostel at the end of the day.

Today’s scenery featured more rebar than anything else. It’s indicative that the AT in Maine’s reputation isn’t entirely deserved. General people describe trail conditions with several adjectives including unimproved, rough, eroded, rocky, rooty, challenging, and even dangerous. Let’s just say for now that it’s more complicated than that.

All-in-all, another great day is in the books.

Just in case the perspective fools you. This is near vertical.

Baldpate

July 6, 2014July 6, 2014 / jim fetig / 9 Comments

Pine Ellis Hostel, Andover, ME, 10 mile slack pack, Sunday July 6, 2014 — A certain successful 2013 thru hiker whose blog I’ve recommended suggested by email recently that the hike over the two Baldpate peaks would be “fun.”

Her wry wit and acute sense of irony and sarcasm tickled my caution meter. She could mean fun per se, or she could upgrade the sensation to a form of hard rock terrorism. Was she messing with my mind? Mind you, I’ve been an easy mark for head games lately.

Well, it turns out she meant what she said. Today’s hike was a joy.

The Baldpate peaks are a couple of granite domes separated by a gentle saddle. The slope angles are walkable wet or dry without fear. The wind, on the other hand, might up the pucker factor on occasion, but not today.

The photos tell the story. The scenery and hiking we’re amazing.

Two more slack days remain. Each is challenging. More on that later. Once they’re done I have to disappear for a few days for a wedding in Atlanta I wouldn’t miss on a bet. (I don’t plan these things.) Then it’s on to Katahdin.

Nice trail work.

Baldpate west peak – where we’re going.

Baldpate east peak – where we’ve been.

Oh Maine!

July 6, 2014July 6, 2014 / jim fetig / 2 Comments

Pine Ellis Hostel, Andover, ME, 13.5 mile slack pack, Saturday July 5, 2014 — Maine may be the final exam state but it’s raw beauty is something to behold. In that sense, it’s worth every bit of the time and effort.

When a hurricane named Arthur dumped its final load of rain on the backwoods, the result was unsurprising. It was soggy, wet, soaked, sopping, muddy, drowning, flooded, and any other descriptor of under water you can conger.

The good news, the mosquitoes and black flies were grounded by the brisk wind. Yes!!!

Still, the trail was fantastic. For the first time in weeks, the rock slab demons were on strike. Normal trail was the word of the day with an average speed in excess of 2 mph. Of course the five pound pack helped. Best of all, my knees were thankful.

Mind you that a few short months ago I would have hated these trail conditions. Since then my perspective has changed.

Today’s hike was backward, north to south, from Rangely toward Andover, ending at Rt. 17 for those who care. Tomorrow’s hike is northward from Grafton Notch over Bald Pate Mountain and the rock demons will be back. Day three should fill in the gap.

The pics show the general trail conditions, the Sabbath Pond shelter and beach. Trust me, it was fun.

That’s a moose skeleton.

Independence Day

July 5, 2014 / jim fetig / Leave a comment

Andover, ME, Friday July 4, 2014 — Zero. That’s what I did today.

Actually we had a “tube steak” cookout on the soggy porch of the Pine Ellis Hostel. Among the guests were a half dozen German SOBOs and a Brit. The Americans were a distinct minority. How American is that? I Ioved it.

The town is tiny to say the least. Three cafés and a gas station. Too small for a parade or fireworks. Peace and quiet are the heart of Andover’s brand, and it delivered.

The photo is of Main St. from the town green. It pretty much says it all.

Happy Fourth everyone.

Tomorrow we hike backward (south). More to follow.

Mahoosuc corrected link

July 4, 2014July 4, 2014 / jim fetig / Leave a comment

https://dl-web.dropbox.com/get/20140702_111739.mp4?_subject_uid=49196259&w=AAB6J9heeiHOUWb01KnvHHGjXp8eCBcfX-BqK1gxjoC34g

Mahoosuc Notch Videos

July 4, 2014 / jim fetig / 1 Comment

Two guys. Same place.

Foggy glasses

July 3, 2014July 3, 2014 / jim fetig / 3 Comments

Speck Pond Shelter, ME, AT NOBO mile 1,914.6, Wednesday July 2, 2014 — Mahoosuc Notch was so cool it fogged my glasses!

In fact, the fog shrouded valley looked far kinder and gentler than it actually was. Long ago glaciers scooped out Mahoosuc Notch from a great block of metamorphic rock. Over time house-size and larger boulders tumbled from the steep canyon walls to the narrow valley floor and formed either the world’s best obstacle to tank traffic or a jungle gym for hikers.

To anyone with moderate rock climbing experience, the great boulder field is a welcome diversion. For others, it could be a bit of a challenge.

With that in mind, the whole shelter awoke hoping for an early start. As we packed up, an ominous rumbling punctuated the atmosphere. No, nobody had lentils for dinner. Thunder has an unmistakable sound all its own at six-thirty in the morning.

Swayed and I were about a quarter mile from the shelter when the pelting rain sent us back under cover, not for fear of rain, but out of respect. We know how dangerous rain-slickened rock can be. Fortunately the sky cleared in 20 minutes and we launched our adventure.

The ice in the crevasses worked like a Roman frigidairium and cooled the air in the boulder field at least 20 degrees. The effort required to navigate the boulders, canyons and tunnels should have generated copious amounts of sweat. Instead I was dry as a bone and cool as a cucumber. The cool temperature was exhilarating. Unfortunately my glasses fogged every time they came in contact with the day’s hot and humid air.

We made it through the boulders in about three hours. That’s far slower than some and a bit ahead of the average time of three and a half hours.

Simply put, I had a blast, even when I had to push my pack through a rock tunnel. I have video when I can post it. Mahoosuc is on the list of places I’d like to revisit in the future. Mark it down.

After Mahoosuc Notch is a gentle little slope (not) called Mahoosuc Arm. Not a nice place. I was ever so happy to be climbing. I can’t imagine descending in good weather or bad. Let’s just describe the Arm as a black diamond ski slope made of hard-hearted stone.

Tomorrow we’ll be at the Pine Ellis Hostel from which we’ll be doing some slack packing and avoiding Hurricane Arthur. Slacking has got to be easier on the knees than what we have been doing.

It’s summertime!

July 3, 2014July 3, 2014 / jim fetig / Leave a comment

Gentian Pond Shelter, NH, AT NOBO mile 1898.8, Monday June 30, 2014 — It was hot today and sweat became the word of the day. Lots of sweat.

Water was relatively scarce too, especially during the first half of the day. Fortunately there was plenty to be found this afternoon.

The water source for this shelter is a pond. Most of the pond water up here is brown with leaf tannin. It doesn’t affect the taste much, but it does look like strong tea. Consequently some folks don’t like to drink it.

After drawing drinking water, I rinsed out my shirt and cleaned up a bit. I needed it. The alternative is gross.

SOBOs (southbounders) were the theme of the day. We saw eight within 45 minutes. Seems the bubble of SOBOs who jump on the trail right after college graduation is about to reach us. That means extra competition for shelters, hostels and transportation as we go forward.

Tomorrow we finally leave the long shadow of Mt. Washington. In return we get to cross the Maine border and tackle what is reputed to be the toughest mile on the trail. Time will tell. Stay tuned.

Maine! The final exam.

July 3, 2014July 3, 2014 / jim fetig / 6 Comments

Full Goose Shelter, ME, AT NOBO mile 1,908.4, Tuesday July 1, 2014 — This is the beginning of the end. Each mountain top witnessed the ever fading shadow of Mt. Washington shrinking in the haze of my rearview mirror. By day’s end it was gone – history in the books.

What lies ahead is less romance than hard work. The trail in Maine is rough. Everyone at the shelter is complaining about the steep slab rocks on the downhills. They’re slicker than snot when dry. We can’t even contemplate them wet. We’ve all fallen enough that we’re gun shy on wet rock.

Lots of fancy trail structures in evidence today.

Tomorrow is Mahoosuc Notch and arm, reputed to be either the most fun or most challenging couple of miles on the trail. In anticipation, I’m working on my war stories early. My mind is open. Let the end games begin.